Questions?

Question
Hello Bob,

I hope you can help to find answers to my questions>

Q1) I have a Rossi .38 Special(5 Rounds), I beleve it's the 88 model, and I'm trying to find a Shoulder holster for it, I couldn't find anything on the Internet!!! any suggestions?
Photo: <http://www.s7rup.com/up/get-6-2007-s7rup_com_vz6cks6j.jpg>

Q2) Does old bullets make any harm to the gun? And is it safe to Disassemble a bullet(remove the bullet form the jacket"bullet case") by a regular plier?

Q3) I got an old gun, it's a little bit rusty and I'm thinking to Nickel Plating it myself, electroless nickel plating of course, does it really give a good result?

Best Regards,
Ahmad

Answer
Hi Ahmad.

A1: There are many shoulder holsters which will fit your revolver.  They may not be made specifically for a Rossi 88 but any holster that is designed to fit a variety of small or medium frame revolvers should fit your gun just fine.  If you want a top quality holster then I would look at Galco (http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterT1.asp).  I use their Miami Classic and it is the best I have seen.  If you want an inexpensive but functional holster then try Uncle Mikes horizontal model (http://www.gunaccessories.com/UncleMikes/Pro-PakHorizontalShoulderHolsters.asp).  These are usually pretty comfortable and work well.

A2: Age doesn't matter as much as the primary factor: how the ammunition was made and stored.  If the ammunition was good quality by a major manufacturer and it was stored in a cool, dry location with low humidity and no excessive heat then it could still be usable 40-50 years or longer after the date of manufacture.  There are many documented cases of WWII or even WWI ammunition being fired in recent times with full effect.  The most susceptible cartridge components are the primer and powder which are sensitive to high humidity, extreme temperatures, water, oils, cleaning fluids, or other similar chemicals.

My grandfather gave me some shotgun ammunition in the early 70s and it had to be at least 10-20 years old back then.  I still have it now so the age must be close to 50 years yet it fires fine.  So if you have old ammunition that has not been damaged and it was stored properly then you should be safe to use it for target shooting or practice under controlled conditions.  I wouldn't rely on it for hunting or self defense, though, and if the cartridges show any signs of damage, corrosion, moisture, or other defects then take them to a local shooting range, gunsmith, or gun club where they can safely recycle them for you.  It is normal for the brass casings to have a slight patina from the age but no corrosion, streaks, cracks, chips, rust, etc.

Also, some ammunition such as rimfire is cheaply made to begin with so you will probably find that it malfunctions more often when it is older.  Due to the lower cost of new ammunition I would probably recycle this stuff.  If you have a bolt action rifle or a revolver then you might go ahead and use up the old ammo since malfunctions are less of a problem in those firearms compared to the semi-automatic actions which frequently jam with old ammo and can take a few minutes to safely clear the action.

Another caution: when shooting old cartridges be specially alert to hangfires, misfires, or squib loads.  Any of these malfunctions can be deadly if you don't take the appropriate action before continuing to shoot.  If you need info on how to identify and handle these situations then check out this document:

http://www.bitbybit.bz/InstructorBriefing.pdf

It is very dangerous to use ammunition in any way other than intended by the manufacturer.  If you drop the cartridge, crush it, or damage it this could cause the primer to explode and/or the powder to ignite which could result in an outward explosion that could seriously injure or kill you or others.  Once a cartridge has become physically dented, dirty, corroded, cracked, damp or wet, exposed to high heat or chemicals, etc. then it is not safe to fire under any circumstances.  Even if you could safely disassemble the cartridge then the components would not be usable for much of anything anyway since most modern smokeless powders don't burn well unless ignited by a modern primer, and even if the powder is ignited it usually just makes a small puff of gas and a little smoke when it is not confined by the case, chamber, and barrel of a firearm.  When the powder is ignited in confined spaces, however, the explosion can be quite powerful so do not mess around with this.  Take the old cartridges to the nearest gun range, gunsmith, gun club, or gun dealer and ask them to recycle them for you safely.

A3: I have tried refinishing my own firearms before and did not like the results at all.  To get a good quality finish there is a lot of prep work that needs to be done.  To do it right it could take you many days of sanding, polishing, and treating so it is generally best to pay a gunsmith to do it for you.  They have professional equipment which saves them time and does a better job for you.  Most gunsmiths in my area charge $100-$150 USD for a refinish job but costs in your area may be different.

Hope this helps.  Good luck.

Bob